IHC Suspends Imran Khan & Qureshi’s Conviction in Cipher Case

ISLAMABAD: In a significant development, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Monday nullified the convictions of former prime minister Imran Khan and PTI leader Shah Mehmood Qureshi in the cipher case.

The verdict was announced by IHC Chief Justice Aamir Farooq and Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb, who were reviewing the pleas challenging the convictions.

In January of this year, Imran Khan, the PTI founder, and Shah Mehmood Qureshi, the party’s vice-chairman, were each sentenced to 10 years in prison in relation to the cipher case.

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Cipher Case Overview

On January 30, a special court dealing with the cipher case handed down the 10-year jail terms to Imran Khan and Shah Mehmood Qureshi. The charges against them included conspiracy to misuse the contents of the cipher for nefarious purposes.

The court’s verdict stated that the prosecution had sufficient evidence to prove the charges against both leaders. The case was initiated with a first information report (FIR) filed on August 15 under the Official Secrets Act, based on a complaint from the Home Secretary.

The FIR accused the former prime minister and foreign minister of distorting the facts of the diplomatic cipher and conspiring to misuse its contents, thereby endangering state interests. It also named former principal secretary Azam Khan and former planning minister Asad Umar.

The report claimed that Imran Khan asked Azam Khan to manipulate the contents of the cipher and deliberately retained a copy of the diplomatic cipher sent to the PM office.

Court’s Decision

The IHC’s decision to nullify the convictions came after careful consideration of the evidence and arguments presented by the defense. This verdict marks a pivotal moment in the legal proceedings against the former PTI leaders, effectively overturning the previous judgments handed down by the special court.